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Monday, 23 March 2015

As a huge fan of the Real Techniques brushes, I was delighted to discover that even more brushes have hit the shelves and they look gorgeous.

It was my birthday Friday just gone, and I received some Boots vouchers and some money so I decided to pop over to Boots to grab some stuff.

I had already got my heart set on buying the full sized Roller Lash Mascara from Benefit and after looking about for something else to buy I spotted my local Boots had the Bold Metals Collection in stock.

I picked up the 201 Pointed Crease Brush as I love dressing my eyes up and have always wanted a brush to create that cut crease with my eye-shadows.

I couldn't wait to try it out!

These brushes are a lot different to your usual Real Techniques brushes, for starters the handles are weighted for optimal comfort and control, meaning that when you tip your hand towards your face to apply product with one of these brushes, it distributes the perfect weight to apply your product.

These brushes are nothing short of beautiful.

The bristles on this brush are very soft yet densely packed and tapered to create the perfect smokey eye.

As you can see from the photos, I've already used it.

I created a really pretty rose-gold eye on Saturday when I went out to celebrate my birthday with friends and it looked so neat and professional, I couldn't believe that I had done it myself!

I am already head over heels in love with this brush and it is already a staple in my permanent makeup kit and it stands out beautifully with its luxurious design and metallic effect.

I definitely believe that these are worth the price tag they have been given - this brush costs £12 and you can find it at Boots here.

This week I am also planning on purchasing their 301 Flat Contour Brush to add to my collection so I can become a contouring pro!

You can find the Real Techniques Bold Metal Collection at Boots in store and online, or the Real Techniques website where they ship worldwide.

Have you tried Real Techniques Bold Metal Collection yet?

What do you think about these new brushes? Are they worth the price tag?

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

If you have seen my last video here, you will have seen me use the newest product from Barry M - The Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit.

This the first piece of makeup I actually own from Barry M, I usually just go for their lovely nail polishes (Reviews of their new Speed Dry polishes will be up soon) and I had read about this kit a few days before buying it and heard great things about it.

Now, I'm not a contouring pro, I would love to get that perfect sculpted face without looking like I have just smeared mud up the sides of my face.

This product is pretty fool-proof, offering a step by step guide in the lid of the package instead of a mirror for all those who are new to contouring:

Pretty simple, right?

The powders come in this cardboard case, its durable and does the trick, but I can see this getting dirty very quickly, but who cares? It's a sign of a well used product in my eyes.

So lets take a look inside:

You get 3 powders in this kit which are very smooth and buttery to apply, not cakey at all and very pigmented - I was really pleased.

First shade is kinda like a banana coloured highlighter but without the excessive shimmer some highlighters contain. There's a really lovely sheen to this powder, you apply this to where you would apply highlighter, cheekbones, under the eyes, down the nose, cupids bow and chin.

Second shade is a warm toned brown to help bronze where natural light would normally hit your face, so that would be cheeks, forehead and nose. This really warms the face up and gives a bit more definition.

Third shade is a cool toned dark brown which you use to contour to really sculpt and slim the face. So apply this to the hollows of your cheeks and blend up into the temples and along the hair line and then blend down the sides of your nose to give a smaller appearance.

Swatched & Blended:

The shades look quite daunting in their pans - especially the dark brown, but once applied and blended well they are quite subtle on the skin.

You simply cannot go wrong with this kit, my 2 year old niece could probably master this!

I've read that this has been compared to the Anastasia Contour Kit and I consider this a better product than my Daniel Sandler Sculpt & Slim Kit.

I used this kit last Saturday to create a Kylie Jenner-esque face:

Its a great little kit for beginners or for those who just simply want something that will give them a sculpted look without using an array of products.

These bad boys are on sale now at Boots for the mere price tag of £5.49 - a quid off what it would usually be, hardly breaks the bank!

If you read my blog you will know that I am a MASSIVE fan of anything from Makeup Revolution. They just keep knocking out great product after great product, the world of beauty and bloggers cannot get enough of them at the moment.

So I was over the moon when Product Testing UK asked if I wanted to try a product out to review and become a beauty product tester, I jumped at the chance.

I was really happy when my package arrived and it was a Lip Lava from Makeup Revolution's little sister brand I <3 Makeup.

I was astonished how they knew to send me this as I had been longing to get my hands on a Lip Lava for weeks and then one just landed at my door!

So I ripped open the package and 'Oooh'-ed at the product.

I've heard that these Lip Lava's are on par with Too Faced Melted Lipsticks, so I was really excited to test this out.

The lipstick itself comes in a squeezy tube with a fabric nib to apply the product onto the lips.

The shade I was sent is Tremor, a lovely pink, suitable for these upcoming Spring months.

I applied this to freshly exfoliated and moisturised lips and was pleasantly surprised, not as sticky as I had read about and the colour came out in a fluid motion, coating my lips. I applied only one coat of this for a subtle stain, but you can build up the colour for a more bold, intense gloss.

I am really pleased with how the shade looks on my lips, its very girly, and I'm not a huge lover of girly shades or the colour pink for that matter but I love this, and when I mean love it, I mean I LOOOOVE it.

The formula is smooth and very pigmented and you can get a good precise application using the tip of the sponge nib.

After about an hour the Lip Lava is still very glossy and the colour is still very fresh, I wold love Makeup Revolution to do a matte version of these too.

Apologies for the way I look!

All in all I think Makeup Revolution are onto another winner here with these Lip Lavas, especially being dupes for the Melted Lipsticks and at a fraction of the price too, they're only £2.99! You can find them on Makeup Revolutions Website here.

'Another perfume review?' I hear you cry?
Yes, the wonderful people over at St Kitts Herbery sent me two perfumes to try out.
I received the scents Summer Rose and Mist.
I was really excited to receive two perfumes in one week, I really love fragrances.

Reading up on St Kitts Herbery I discovered that they first started off as a truck stop style cafe in North Cornwall, back then owners Susan and Paul Johnson had just £2000 between them, a polytunnel and a few packets of seeds - from this humble beginning they became St Kitts Herbery.
Today, they create and sell beautifully scented luxury toiletries and fragrances and chocolate.
They now have a store in Cardiff as well as Cornwall.

So of course I would love their products seen as they were established in my favourite part of the UK - Cornwall.
Whenever I'm in Cornwall I buy all kinds of handmade products, soaps, lip balms, jewellery, Cornish fudge and Cornish pasties - my favourite!

Summer Rose.

This fragrance is beautiful. The samples came in a little spray bottle so I spritzed some on my neck and wrists and breathed in the lovely scent.
I'm a sucker for anything rose scented and this smelt heavenly.
I found myself comparing it to Paul Smith Rose perfume, which I love, but this was a little sweeter and the scent lasted a lot longer.
I can also smell Lily and Violet in this too, making this a beautiful fragrances to wear in the upcoming Spring and Summer months.

Mist.

I wasn't too struck on the smell of Mist, at first smell its quite herby and to me smells more of a men's fragrance - but it does state that it is a unisex perfume.
I spritzed this on and within minutes the herb smell died down and I was left with a mix of lemon, rose and neroli.
It was really pleasant once settled and would smell wonderful on both males and females, it's very light and fresh.
I spritzed some onto my fiance and found it smelt different on him than it did to me, I don't know what sorcery that was but it smelt divine.

A massive thanks to St Kitts for gifting me with these wonderful scents, I can see myself getting a lot of use out of Summer Rose - Its just delicious!

I love perfume, I think a perfume can say so much about yourself and when you find that one perfume you make it your signature fragrance.

The lovely lot over at Signature Fragrances London do just that and very kindly sent me two samples of their beautiful perfume

Before I go on - I am in love with the perfumes I was sent to try. I have never smelt better!

About Signature Fragrances London.

Signature Fragrances London was founded by two friends: Solomon and Yinka. Having a huge passion for fragrances the pair decided to make that passion a reality by introducing a range of unique fragrances for everyone to enjoy.

Their perfumes are categorized by four of the most popular fragrance families in the world. Each fragrance carries its own identity, giving its user and unique sensory experience.

These perfumes contain little to no alcohol moving away from their fragrances being an eau de toilette or eau de parfum, giving their scents a true smell that lasts hours.

I was sent two lovely samples: Lola and Deja Vu.

Before even taking the top off the samples I can already smell the fragrance which is beautiful.

Lola.

My favourite of the two I was sent.

I applied this and was immediately reminded of my Aunty Pam. She always smells so beautiful and sophisticated and this just reminded me of her.

It starts with a fruity scent and as the fragrances settles down you get floral and woody notes come through giving the perfume sensuality, sweetness and is very feminine.

I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist all day, it was simply beautiful and I felt really sophisticated wearing it. I mean, I'm 27 but I honestly felt like a proper woman wearing this.

Deja Vu.

This scent really is something else.

The fragrance opens with beautiful floral notes and once settled the fruity notes begin to appear, I smelt peaches but creamier, if that makes sense?

A little while after that the scent become warm and and juicy smelling, which in all honesty made me hungry! And there are certainly some spices that grace this perfume, very delicately.

This one lasts a good while too its like the fragrances just takes over the room when you put it on, it has that level of richness, which doesn't over power the nose or the room, it just smells so delicious.

These fragrances are out of this world and the bottles and packaging they come in are to die for. I cannot wait to try some out for myself.

If you want to buy these delectable perfumes, you can purchase them from the Signature Fragrances London website here and they're really affordable too with fragrances starting at £21.

The lovely people over at Argan Dew kindly sent me some samples to try out about a week ago, which I was overjoyed about.

I love anything for my hair that has Argan oil in it, it smells amazing and has brilliant properties.

I haven't had my hair cut since February last year, I know, burn me at the stake, but I have really wanted to grow it out quite long.

I'm one of these people where my hair will grow to a certain length and then it slows down, so I was looking for something to grow my stubborn locks.

About Argan Dew.

The Argan Dew founders have been involved in the hair and skin care industries since 1998 working for luxury brands.

They have always been driven to combine traditional knowledge and natural ingredients to provide the best solutions, so they founded Argan Dew with a clear vision - improving hair health and beauty.

About Argan Oil.

Deeply hidden in the Argan nut, lies a miraculous oil.

The oil of the Argan nut, which grows exclusively in Morocco, is one of the world's richest and rarest natural oils, used for centuries for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes.

Today, as in generations before, Argan oil is extracted by traditional methods in its perfect, unadulterated form. Bursting with Vitamin E, squalene, beta carotene and fatty acids, Argan oil has a powerful antioxidant effect, which helps to neutralize free radicals and prevent skin and hair damage.

Argan Dew Replenishing Hair Mask.

I had two samples of the replenishing hair mask which I loved. I love hair masks, I usually do one or two a week, depending on the condition of my hair and it instantly relaxes me.

I poured the mask into my hand and massaged it through my freshly washed hair and felt it soften immediately.

It smelt absolutely beautiful and I spent a lot of time just working it into my hair and breathing in the smell, it was heavenly!

I left it in my hair for 5 minutes to work its magic and carried on with washing myself.

When I rinsed the mask out I could have cried with how soft my hair felt! Not only that, i'm a victim of shedding hair in the shower, I always manage to clog up the plug hole with how much hair falls out of my head when washing - it worries me, but my hair is that thick still afterwards I wonder where it all comes from.

So when rinsing my hair I had the smallest amount of shedding, I was so happy.

It felt manageable too, I had no problem running the brush through my hair before wrapping it up into a towel.

Argan Dew Miraculous Oil.

This oil is so true to its name, it really is miraculous.

After taking my damp hair out of the towel I applied 2 drops of the oil to my palms and ran my hands through the mid-lengths and end of my hair, working it in,

The smell of the oil is slightly different to the hair mask, I smell cloves a little but it did nothing to change the oil.

I brushed through my hair and began drying it.

After my hair was dry, I quickly run the straighteners through it and was really impressed with the end result. My hair looked so shiny and soft, my ends were neat and smooth and my hair this beautiful smell to it.

I had two samples of this too and I use it after every wash of my hair and you really only do need a few drops for your hair, so I haven't even begun to make a dent in the sample!

Using these samples meant I haven't had to wash my hair as often either. Normally I wash my hair every two days and you can tell my the second day that it needs a wash but I went three days without washing it and it still looked shiny and felt really soft.

I can't comment on the hair growth just yet, but I am hoping that if I carry on using the oil it will at least give it a bit of growth and continue to keep my hair looking and feeling healthy.

After using Argan Dew Replenishing Hair Mask & Miraculous Oil.

I really want to try the rest of their products out like the shampoo, conditioner and the serum so I have a full Argan routine for my hair.

Monday, 2 March 2015

When it comes to jewellery I don't own a fair lot of really beautiful, fancy pieces apart from my engagement ring.

Enter Buckley London.

Buckley London were established in 1989 by designer Adrian Buckley who had one aim - to design and manufacture the best quality fashion & costume jewellery at competitive prices.

Buckley London have one four prestigious 'Best Costume Jewellery' awards and it's not hard to see why.

Buckley is now sold in over 600 international retail locations as well as being sold in 100 airports around the globe. You can also buy Buckley London jewellery in flight on 150 airlines and cruise ships, so they're a bit of a big deal.

So again when visiting the Blogger Lve Hub's website the other I filled in a request form to sample their Sparkle Mesh Bracelets, which I thought were so cute. Simple mesh bracelets with a heart charm, a kiss charm and a pretty crystal charm, which can be either worn alone or stacked together.

I received an email shortly after from Kate Warren over at Buckley London to thank me for requesting their Sparkle Mesh Bracelets and to me utter astonishment she also said that she would send me their one carat stud earrings and one of their signature poppies.

I sent an email back gushing to Kate, thanking her for her kindness and generosity, I couldn't believe just how generous one company could be!

So Monday morning I woke up to the sound of the flat buzzer going and it was my package from Buckley. Another thing I couldn't believe was how fast their package reached me.

I tore open the envelope and squealed a little seeing the wonderful gifts they had sent me.

These beautiful tiny studs are my most favourite earrings ever at the moment.

I think they're Cubic Zirconia and they're so so so pretty!

They're plated in pure rhodium with an equivalent stone size to a one carat diamond, they're so simple yet stylish, you can wear them with anything.

I haven't taken these out of my ears since I've had them, I'm in love with them and I've had many compliments on them.

I usually only ever wear dress earrings, mostly dangling earrings or feathers or studs from Primark and I have nothing like this in my jewellery collection, and they will be part of my jewellery collection forever!

Buckley designed this poppy last year to add a touch of sparkle to any outfit while whoever wears it proudly supports the The Royal British Legion.

Plated with a gold tone, this gorgeous poppy holds over 100 ruby crystals and is a perfect reminder of those brave men and women who gave their lives for us in the war.

All profits go to the Royal British Legion charity which I think is such a wonderful thing to do.

I think I first read about these in Elle magazine last year and the poppies are quite popular among the Royal Family.

These were such beautiful items for Buckley to gift me and I could not thank them enough for being so generous and kind. I really am a very lucky girl.

If you like what you have seen here please, don't hesitate visiting their website, they have an absolutely stunning range of jewellery at affordable prices, perfect if you want to treat yourself or treat a loved one - Mothers Day is coming up, so a piece of jewellery off this website would go down a storm with your Mum, I'm sure!